Cheek Swab = Free Mimosa

Altadena resident and blogger Susan Carrier, who recently had hip surgery, was lamenting that she can’t volunteer at any A3M bone marrow drives during her recovery. Since she can’t go to the drives, she’s decided to invite local residents (ages 18 to 60) to come to her to register for the National Bone Marrow Registry. At the “Sip and Swab” house party, she’ll ply you with mimosas made with fresh orange juice and grapefruitade from backyard grapefruits while you fill out a questionnaire and swab your cheeks. Minorities (Asians, African Americans and Latinos) and racial mixes are especially needed to join the national registry. If you’re a match, you could save the life of a patient in need of a stem cell transplant.